Butch comb clipper attachment



Aug. 25, 1964 lllllllll n R. c. HOFFMAN BUTCH COMB CLIPPER ATTACHMENT Filed July 3, 1951 K 20 Elia 70X? 7/ RAY c. HOFFMAN United States Patent BUTtIH COR H3 CLIPPER ATTACHMENT Ray C. iloifman, 1392 /2 12th Ave., Sterling, Ill. Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,424 7 Claims. (Cl. 30-200) This invention relates to a new and improved attachment, of the kind generally referred to by barbers as a butch comb, for use in giving what are known as butch, crew or burr haircuts, such an attachment being, however, also good for cutting off the rough around the sides and back in the case of a customer having a long overdue haircut.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a butch comb attachment having a novel and practical form of spring clip for fastening the butch comb onto the clipper comb so securely, there is no danger of its falling 011?, whereas many other designs of such attachments were prone to do that, an important feature of the heat treated U-shaped spring steel clip being the provisions for a simple screw adjustment, whereby the barber can set the arms of the U to take hold on the ends of the clipper camb with just the right amount of pressure he prefers 1f the original screw adjustment does not happen to give that pressure on the particular make or model of clipper the barber has or in the event, after some service, the attachment no longer holds as well as it should.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a clipper showing my improved butch comb attachment applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a plan view and side view, respectively, of the butch comb attachment removed from the cllpper, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are two rear views of the attachment by itself on a larger scale, FIG. 5 illustrating by full line and dotted line positions how the screw adjustment functlons, and FIG. 6 showing how a shim can be applied under the middle portion of the clip to advantage under certain conditions.

. The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in these views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 7 designates the butch comb attachment of my invention generally, applied to the comb 8 of a hair clipper 9, which s of a well-known make in use by barbers generally, having the usual reciprocable cutter 10 cooperating usually with the comb 8 alone, but, when the butch comb 11 of attachment 7 is applied to the clipper in the manner shown, w1th its teeth 12 vertically aligned with the teeth 13 of the comb 8, the teeth 14 of cutter 10 cut the hair to a predetermined greater length determined by the combmed vertical dimension of the teeth 12 and teeth 13. Comb 11 has shoulders 15 defined on the top of its teeth 12 in a predetermined rearwardly spaced relation to the pointed front ends 16, and these shoulders, as shown by hne a-b in FIG. 4, are substantially at right angles to the inclined flat top surface 17 on comb 11 behind the shoulders, which matches the bevel 13' on the bottom of the teeth 13 of comb 8, as seen in FIG. 1, so that when the ends of teeth 13 are engaged behind shoulders 15 the comb 11 can be fastened securely by means of the U-shaped spring steel clip 18 which exerts a tight springpressed friction hold on the ends of the rectangular butt portion 19 of the clipper comb 8, at an acute angle relative to the shoulders 15 and line a-b, as indicated by line c-d in FIG. 4, thereby greatly reducing the likelihood of the attachment 7 working loose and falling 01f, line c-d being at right angles to the butt portion 20 of the butch comb 11 on top of which the clip 18 is fastened by means of a pair of screws 21. The latter are entered through two laterally spaced holes 22 provided in the mid-portion of the cross-portion 23 of the U-shaped clip 18 and threaded in registering holes 24 provided in the butt portion 20 of comb 11. Two conical bosses 25 are punched downwardly from the cross-portion 23 in outwardly laterally spaced relation to the holes 22 and screws 21 for fulcrum engagement on top of the butt portion 20 of comb 11, whereby to space the mid-portion of the cross-portion 23 from comb 11 and provide a predetermined range of adjustability of the springable arms 26 on the ends of the clip along arcs xx, the centers for which are at the holes 22 and screws 21, so that the barber can obtain precisely the spring pressure of arms 26 on comb 8 he prefers if the original screw adjustment at 21-21 does not happen to give that pressure or in the event, after some service, the attachment no longer holds as well as it should. FIG. 5 illustrates this adjustment by a dotted line showing of the clip 18 after a slight tightening of the screws 21. If the original adjustment of the screws 21 makes the clip too tight but loosening of the screws to obtain the desired spring pressure makes the clip too loose on the comb 11, this condition can be corrected by inserting a shim of paper or cardboard or else a cornpressible and somewhat resilient material like a strip of sheet rubber under the mid-portion of the clip 18, as indicated at 27 in FIG. 6. In that way the screws 2121 can be tightened enough to keep the clip tight on comb 11 even though the screws are backed appreciably from their normal position. The free ends 28 of the arms 26 are curved outwardly, as shown, to facilitate the spreading thereof in the application of the attachment to the clipper.

The operation of this improved butch comb attachment 7 is believed to be clear from the foregoing description. The attachments 7 are preferably available in three sizes No. 1 for a inch cut, No. 2 for a inch cut, and No. 3, which is like the one shown in the drawing, for a A inch cut, and the barber selects the proper one for the given haircut, namely, No. 3 for butch, No. 2 for crew and No. l for burr haircuts. The attachment is applied by first engaging the ends of the teeth 13 behind shoulders 15 on the teeth 12 and then pressing upwardly on the butt portion 20 of the comb 11 to engage the spring clip 18 over the side edges of the butt portion 19 of the comb 8 on the clipper, the parts coming together in the final assembled relationship with an audible click, so that the barber knows when the attachment is in place and ready for use. There is thereafter no danger of the attachment working loose and falling off because whatever drag is imposed upon the attachment in its normal use, is in a rearward direction, causing the teeth of the comb on the clipper to remain tightly engaged behind the shoulders 15 and that is the point about which the attachment fulcrums in moving into and out of attached relationship to the clipper, as indicated by the arc y-y in FIG. 1. There is enough variation in overall dimensions of the combs 8 to make the screw adjustment 21-21 very advantageous as the barber usually can secure exactly the tightness of fit desired by giving only a fraction of a turn on each of the screws in the right direction. The barber can also compensate for Wear by making a similar slight adjustment of the screws 21-21 whenever he notices that the clip 18 on the attachment no longer takes hold as tightly as it should or as tightly as he prefers. With old constructions, where the barber had to rely on bending the arms 26 inwardly to secure a tighter fit, the ends 26 were often bent too much, so the nicety of fit obtainable with the present screw adjustment was not obtainable, and after too many such adjustments the metal fatigued and cracked and the part had to be replaced.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my inven- '3 tion. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. A hair clipper attachment for use in combination with the stationary clipper comb of a hair clipper, comprising .an auxiliary butch comb for attachment-on the underside of the clipper comb, a :generally U-shaped spring clip :mounted-ontop of said butch comb providing an attaching cross-portionand arms on the ends thereof forembracing the ends of said :clipper comb to secure the butch comb releaseablythereon, a pair of vertical screws threadedly adjustable in threaded holes provided in the butch comb in laterally spaced relation at the-middle portion thereof, said screws having headed ends where the shanks .are received loosely in holes :provided in the middle portion of the cross-portion of said Clip, the crossportion of said clip having projections on opposite sides of said holes therein which by fulcrum engagement on top of the butch comb normally space the middle portion .ofthe cross-portion from the top of the butch comb, whereby said cross-portion upon adjustment of'said screws is adapted to be variably flexed so that the arms on the ends of said cross-portion are adjusted-slightly to different lateral spaced relationship for close variation accordingly in the tightness of hold of the clip on the clipper comb.

2. A hair clipper attachment as set forth in claim 1 including removable shim means between the butch comb and said cross-portion at thescrews for spacing :purposes when the screws are tightened.

3. A hair clipper attachment as set forth in claim 1 including removable shim means between wthebutch-comb and said cross-portion at the screws for spacing purposes when the screws are tightened, the shim means 'being compressible.

4. A hair clipper attachment as set forth in claim "-1 including removable shim means between the butch comb and said cross-portion at the screws for spacing :purposes when the screws are tightened, the shim means being compressible and resilient.

5. A hair clipper attachment for use in combination with the stationary clipper comb of a hair clipper, cornprising an auxiliary butch comb for attachment on the undersideoftheclipper comb, .a generally U shaped spring clip mounted on top of said butch comb providing an attaching cross-portion and arms on the ends thereof for embracing the ends .of said clipper comb to secure the butch comb releasably thereon, screw means threadedly adjustably securing the middle portion of said cross-portion to said butch comb by variably flexing said crossportion vertically relative to said butch comb, means whereby the end portions of said cross-portion are fulcrumed relative to said butch comb .so that in the variable flexing of the cross-portion atthe middle the arms on the ends are adjusted'slightly to difierent'lateral spaced relationship for close variation accordingly 'in'the tightness of hold of the clip on the clipper comb, and removable shim means between the middle portion of said crossportion and said butch comb for-spacing even though the threadedly adjustable screw :means is tightened.

6. A hair clipper attachment for use in combination with the stationary clipper comb of a hair clipper, comprising an auxiliary butch comb for attachment on the underside of the clipper comb, a generally U-shaped spring clip mounted'ontop of said butch comb providing an attaching cross-portion and arms on the ends thereof for embracing the ends of said clipper comb to secure the butch comb releaseably thereongscrew.rneans threaded- 1y 'adjustably securing the middle :portion of said crossportion to said butchcomb-byvariably flexing said crossportion vertically relative to said butch comb, means whereby the end portions 0f said cross-portion are fulcrumed relative to said butch comb so thatin the variable flexing of the cross-portion at the middle the arms onthe ends are adjusted-slightly to difierent lateral spaced relationship for close variation accordingly in the tighttress-of hold of the clip on the clipper comb, and removable shim means .between the middleportion of said crossportion and said butch comb for spacing even though the threadedly adjustable screw means is tightened, the shim means being compressible.

7. A hair clipper attachment for use in combination with the stationary clipper comb of a'hair clipper, comprising an auxiliary butch comb for attachment on the underside of the clipper comb, a generally U-shaped spring clip mounted-on top of said butch comb providing an attaching cross-portion and arms on the ends thereof for embracing the ends of said clipper comb to secure the butch comb releaseably thereon, screw means threadedly adjustably securing the middle portion of said cross-portion to said butch comb by variably flexing Isaid crossportion vertically :relative to said butch comb, means whereby the end portions of said cross-portion are fulcrumed relative to said butch comb .so that in the variable flexing of the cross-portion .at the middle the arms on the ends are adjusted slightly to different lateralspaced relationship for close variation accordingly in the tightness-of hold-of the'clip on the 'clipper comb, and :removable .shim means between the middle portion of said cross-portion and said butch comb for spacing even though the-threadedly adjustable screw means is tightened, the shim means being compressible and'resilient.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,546,912 Beaucamp July '21, 1925 1,906,874 Flatt May 2, 1933 2,555,053 .Myrick et a1 Ma /"29, 1951 2,747,277 Esposite May 29, 1956 2,795,834 rSzoke June 18, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,343 e e-t Beam 8 8 

1. A HAIR CLIPPER ATTACHMENT FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH THE STATIARY CLIPPER COMB OF A HAIR CLIPPER, COMPRISING AN AUXIALLY BUTCH COMB FOR ATTACHMENT ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CLIPPER COMB, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED SPRING CLIP MOUNTED ON TOP OF SAID BUTCH COMB PROVIDING AN ATTACHING CROSS-PORTION AND ARMS ON THE ENDS THEREOF FOR EMBRACING THE ENDS OF SAID CLIPPER COMB TO SECURE THE BUTCH COMB RELEASEABLY THEREON, A PAIR OF VERTICAL SCREWS THREADEDLY ADJUSTABLE IN THREADED HOLES PROVIDED IN THE BUTCH COMB IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATION AT THE MIDDLE PORTION THEREOF, SAID SCREWS HAVING HEADED ENDS WHERE THE SHANKS ARE RECEIVED LOOSELY IN HOLES PROVIDED IN THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE CROSS-PORTION OF SAID CLIP, THE CROSSPORTION OF SAID CLIP HAVING PROJECTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HOLES THEREIN WHICH BY FULCRUM ENGAGEMENT ON TOP OF THE BUTCH COMB NORMALLY SPACE THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE CROSS-PORTION UPON ADJUSTMENT OF SAID SCREWS IS ADAPTED TO BE VARIABLY FLEXED SO THAT THE ARMS ON THE ENDS OF SAID CROSS-PORTION ARE ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY TO DIFFERENT LATERAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP FOR CLOSE VARIATION ACCORDINGLY IN THE TIGHTNESS OF HOLD OF THE CLIP ON THE CLIPPER COMB. 